Travel news

Hanoi to ban old motorbikes

August 03,2017 04:13 PM

The Hanoi People’s Committee has proposed a roadmap to ban old motorbikes discharging harmful substances into the environment. Under the roadmap, from now to June 30, 2018 it will re-examine and list the number of motorbikes and how long they have been in use, complete legal documents on technical criteria, set up emissions discharge testing centres, and train specialised staff. Between July 2018 and 31 December, 2019 the city will conduct emissions discharge tests on motorbikes with a cylinder capacity of more than 175cc and revoke dilapidated vehicles. It will also inspect motorbikes with a cylinder capacity of less than 175cc. More than 5.2 million motorbikes are on Hanoi’s streets, half of which are reported to have been manufactured in the 1990s, according to the city’s Department of Traffic Police.

Foreign workers in Vietnam rise

August 03,2017 11:13 AM

The number of foreigners working in Vietnam has increased significantly over the last ten years, from around 12,600 in 2004 to more than 83,500 in 2015, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA). Chinese workers make up 30.9 per cent of Vietnam’s foreign workforce, with 25,700 people, followed by South Koreans with over 15,300, Taiwanese with more than 10,700, and Japanese with over 7,900. HCMC is home to the largest number of foreign workers, with more than 20,300 people, accounting for 24.3%, while those in Hanoi number only 6,386, or 7.6%.

Improvements are therefore needed to the legal framework to ensure the rights of foreign workers, especially in regards to social security, which MoLISA and relevant organisations are working on.

Sea route from Soc Trang to Con Dao Island opens

August 03,2017 04:12 PM

A commercial sea transport route from the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang to Con Dao Island has been launched by the Superdong - Kien Giang Speedboat Corporation. The travel time is two and a half hours and the double-deck Superdong vessel is capable of ferrying 306 passengers at an average speed of 26 nautical miles per hour. There will be one roundtrip conducted every day, departing from Soc Trang at 8am and returning from Con Dao at 1 pm.

Con Dao is an archipelago southeast of the southern province of Ba Ria Vung Tau. At one time a prison island for political prisoners during the French colonial era, it has become an international tourist destination, attracting visitors to its primitive beauty, rich flora and fauna, pure water, silky sand banks, and blue skies. It could only previously be reached by flights from HCMC and Can Tho city or by ferry from Vung Tau.

HCMC among best cities for solo travellers

August 03,2017 11:12 AM

Airbnb has listed HCMC among the Top 10 best cities in the world for solo travellers, based on data provided by the popular home rental site during 2016. It ranked second on the list, behind Cancun in Mexico. According to Airbnb, HCMC saw a 146% increase in interest among solo travellers, while Cologne in Germany was close behind, at 142%. Following were Playa del Carmen in Mexico, Johannesburg in South Africa, São Paulo in Brazil, Auckland in New Zealand, Mexico City, Charlotte in North Carolina, the US, and Busan in South Korea.